Advances in fuel cells, interest in environmentally friendly vehicles, and national dependence on foreign oil have brought hydrogen (H2) fuel to the forefront of the various energy candidates to meet our future energy demands. However, there remains a general perception about the safety with respect to the widespread use of hydrogen as a fuel. Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important fuel source as conventional fossil fuel sources continue to be depleted. Hydrogen gas is colorless and without smell; therefore, possible hydrogen leaks are difficult to monitor and may go undetected. Hydrogen is a gas having the highest molecular kinetic velocity and the highest diffusibility, which makes it very susceptible of leaking. When hydrogen mixes with oxygen from air, a vigorous explosive reaction can occur and cause destruction of property and loss of life.
Known hydrogen sensors can be dangerous and difficult to use, are susceptible to interferences, and typically require a dedicated operator to control the instrumentation. It would be significant to provide an unattended, chemochromic sensor capable of detecting and providing a response in the presence of a hydrogen leak.
Another significant problem with existing hydrogen gas sensor technology is that the technology does not work in certain environments, such as in atmospheres of inert gas or at lower or variable temperatures, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,849,073 and 6,895,805 hereby incorporated by reference.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a hydrogen detector that can overcome the above-described problems.